Pros And Cons Of Acquiring Jakob Chychrun: Examining How Such A Move Would Work For Blue Jackets

There's always the possibility.

Among the latest rumor mills have involved Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun and where he could potentially end up in a trade. It's no secret the Coyotes are in the middle of a rebuild and the Blue Jackets have been among the teams linked to swirling trade rumors. Where there is smoke there's usually fire.

On the Chychrun front, two sources today told me the #CBJ and #Yotes are talking. Combine that w/ GM Jarmo Kekalainen saying the 12th overall pick could potentially be used to acquire a 'young NHL player' with term left ... and maybe we've got something brewing?

— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) July 5, 2022

Or maybe not?

This would explain why I was told by a source close to the Chychrun talks yesterday that it went from the #CBJ having the top offer on the table for Chychrun to the deal probably not happening.

The second pick tops the sixth, which probably means it would take 6 & 12 + https://t.co/y1yW4OTsrC

— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) July 7, 2022

Well, there's the beauty of this time of year. It's hard to know true specifics until a deal is official and everything is signed, sealed, and delivered.

In the middle of last season, we talked about the idea of acquiring Chychrun. As Dan Dukart laid out, the deal makes sense financially for the team as Chychrun is locked up through 2024-25 with a cap hit of $4.6 million. His base salary for 2022-23 is $4 million, $4.4 million for 2023-24, and $6 million for 2024-25.

Another box to check off? He's only 24 years old.

Chychrun would provide the Blue Jackets with another valuable defenseman, and a team starved for defensive help after last year's record-setting year that saw them yield 297 goals looks like the fit on paper.

To facilitate such a deal, it takes two to tango and as always, that's where trade proposals can crumble quickly.

RELATED Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Draft Central: Start Times, Selections, News And Analysis 

Columbus entered the draft on Thursday night with two first-round draft picks at Nos. 6 and 12. The Athletic's Aaron Portzline mentioned GM Jarmo Kekalainen was fielding trade offers leading into the draft just to gauge the types of offers out there. Not looking to trade both picks—let alone one most likely—short of a staggering offer, it also seemed that at least one of those picks would be needed in a potential trade for Chychrun.

On top of including draft picks, there have also been rumblings about whether the Blue Jackets could part with a player off the current roster. A player and a pick (multiple) for Chychrun?

That was assuming another team didn't up the ante and make a better offer to Arizona's liking, such as offering more, and higher draft picks. For a Coyotes team who already entered the draft with a bevy of picks, including making three first-round selections, they could surely look to acquire more difference-makers via this year's draft, or next, to improve their rebuilding efforts.

On June 29, Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic put together the trade board, offering up which players could be on the move this summer. The quote below is in regard to the Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets potentially are in a mood to make a splash. How big a splash remains to be seen. Ideally, they need to add size on the blue line and possibly move up in the draft from their current positions at No. 6 (from Chicago, in the Seth Jones trade) and No. 12. They have a surplus of NHL forwards, some of whom will need to be moved out to create a greater role for the prospects coming down the pipeline. Bemstrom would produce only a modest return. To make a greater impact, they’d likely have to consider anteing up an Oliver Bjorkstrand, a Gus Nyquist or a Jack Roslovic. Unlike some teams, the Blue Jackets are generally not afraid to go big in the trade market.

Perhaps the asking price in a potential trade to acquire Chychrun is too rich even for Kekalainen's blood, whose been known to make bold and aggressive trades, especially this time of year.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have interest in Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes per @BrianHedger. Despite that he had awful start into this last season, Chychrun was pretty solid overall again. He's a legit 1st pairing defenseman for us. pic.twitter.com/pusz9Wvssx

— Andy & Rono (@ARHockeyStats) July 5, 2022

With the recent news that the Blue Jackets have extended Adam Boqvist, that gives the team six defensemen currently under contract for next season.

There are still deals to work out for Gabriel Carlsson who is an RFA and likely considered expendable as an extra defenseman, and Nick Blankenburg who remains unsigned after his signing late last season.

Jake Christiansen had a cup of coffee with the Blue Jackets, having spent the majority of last season in Cleveland. He's an RFA after the upcoming 2022-23 season as is Andrew Peeke, and Gavin Bayreuther is a UFA next summer. Vladislav Gavrikov is a UFA after the upcoming season as well.

With Zach Werenski signed through 2027-28 and Boqvist signed through 2024-25, Chychrun would give the team three defensemen signed through at least 2024-25. The Blue Jackets also went defense-heavy in the first round of the NHL Draft on Thursday night, selecting right-shot David Jiricek with the sixth pick and left-shot defenseman Denton Mateychuk with the 12th pick.

#CBJ Jarmo Kekalainen said he had "quite a few trade offers."

"But at the end of the day, we decided we were going to stick with the picks, and we're happy that we did."

Expectation is both David Jiricek (6) and Denton Mateychuk (12) will attend next week's development camp.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 8, 2022

That might tell you all you need to know on whether the Blue Jackets still plan on Chychrun, who is a left-shot defenseman, and the Blue Jackets have both a glut of defenseman on the current roster with more in the system, and lefty defensemen—Werenski, Gavrikov, Christiansen, Carlsson, Bayreuther, and Jake Bean.

Put another way:

It hasn't happened since the #NHL was a six-team league, so the first 12 picks were two trips around the league.#CBJ selected David Jiricek No. 6 and Denton Mateychuk No. 12 tonight in Montreal.

Thanks to NHLStats service for the assist.

— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 8, 2022

The other question in adding Chychrun: What exactly is a team getting with him?

Chychrun's really never come close to playing a full 82-game season in his six-year career, playing a career-high 68 games in 2016-17.

In 2020-21, he played in all 56 games of the COVID-shortened year. Otherwise, injuries have taken their toll on Chychrun including knee surgery to repair his meniscus in 2017 and ACL surgery in 2018. He's coming off a season where he played in 47 games after another injury-shortened campaign, and he accumulated 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists), finishing a career-low -20—not that plus/minus carries with it the same weighted emphasis it once did.

Overall, Chychrun's best season is 2020-21 when he set career highs in points (41), goals (18), and assists (23). Since he entered the league in 2016-17, Chychrun ranks 14th in goals per 60 (0.34) over that span among defensemen at 5v5 and a minimum of 1000 minutes, per Evolving-Hockey.

By the time we get to opening night against the Carolina Hurricanes, we’ll of course have clarity on the final roster, and more definitive answers to the trade questions we have right now. Whether that involves Chychrun, the Blue Jackets, or another player linked to Columbus, time will tell soon.

"Well make those calls at the draft or any other time afterwards, but right now, hes going to come back and play for us, and we expect him to be a big part of our team next year.

— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) July 8, 2022

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make.